BenQ E2400HD 24in Full HD Monitor review

Summary

Our Score

7/10

User Score

Review Price free/subscription

We've reviewed quite a few monitors by BenQ recently that share the same looks and basic specifications. Today's example, the E2400HD, is yet another model in the company's highly affordable Full HD range, which can be seen as either a bigger cousin to the 22in E2200HD or scaled back version of the M2400HD without the webcam and USB-hub.

Since it uses exactly the same TN panel as the M2400HD this 24in display has a 16:9 aspect ratio. Though this is more film-friendly than the traditional PC-monitor 16:10 ratio, we'd rather have the extra desktop space 1,920 x 1,200 gives over 1,920 x 1,080 for productivity and gaming, though the reduction in price will attract many.
Assembly is easy: simply put the base onto a flat surface and click the monitor with stand into it. Unfortunately the only adjustability on offer is tilt, but to be fair that's a failing with most budget monitors - BenQ's rather good G2200WT accepted.

Tilting the E2400HD reveals the same creaking as on the other models using this chassis, though aside from this build quality is decent enough. In terms of looks, meanwhile, the display is not unattractive but hardly stylish. The large power button and its equally large square green LED don't add a lot, nor do the bulges where USB ports resided on the M2400HD. It's also worth noting that the monitor's piano-black finish makes fingerprints far more visible than the M2400HD's white coating did.
BenQ still continues its practice of providing no digital video connectivity out of the box, so unless you have one already you'll need to buy a DVI or HDMI cable separately. However, the actual monitor provides a nice selection of connections with HDMI, DVI and VGA.

While this triple connectivity is common enough on budget displays these days, BenQ goes the extra mile by offering a 3.5mm audio input (which was sadly missing from the E2200HD) and headphone jack on the side. This means you don't have to use the integrated speakers - a good thing since, as usual with integrated monitor ones, they're not exactly accomplished.

As with its brother and smaller cousins, the E2400HD has its controls clearly labelled along the front of its glossy black bezel. The control buttons are integrated into a narrow silver strip that runs along the outside of the screen's chassis, making the black section appear equally thick at the bottom as at the sides and top.
Its simple controls combine with colourful, logical menus to make the E2400HD easy to use, despite the slightly counterintuitive niggle of the up and down buttons moving right and left respectively through the menu's tabs. There's a sensible selection of shortcuts on the buttons, including input, brightness and volume.

In the OSD there are various presets available or you can configure your own, and the handy Senseye Demo lets you see the effects of several of the modes on half the screen, with the other half retaining the qualities of the preset you're on - this is really something all displays should have.